Posted on 05/18/2005 10:59:21 PM PDT by HAL9000
Government troops reclaimed control of an eastern Uzbek town where rebels announced they would build a strict Islamic state, and local residents said Thursday that authorities had arrested the group's leaders.Some said that about 200 government forces had occupied Korasuv, a town of 20,000 on the border with Kyrgyzstan, overnight and arrested the rebel leader Bakhtiyor Rakhimov and several aides who had announced a plan to rule according to Islamic law. Other residents said the government troops numbered 1,000.
Some local residents said they heard no shots, but others reported sporadic shooting. All refused to give their names, fearing for their safety amid the government crackdown on the uprising.
The government action comes after troops fired on protesters in a nearby Uzbek city of Andijan last Friday, killing hundreds, according to witnesses, and causing an international outcry.
The authorities, who fled Korasuv when rioters attacked police and government offices Saturday, returned in full force Thursday. Several border guards and about 20 soldiers in full combat gear toting Kalashnikovs stood guard near the bridge linking the town with Kyrgyzstan.
Terrified Korasuv residents, who gathered nearby, said that Bakhtiyor Rakhimov, the rebellion leader, and at least three of his aides were arrested by the authorities.
Korasuv people said that some of those arrested were beaten by police and that arrests were continuing.
The rebels in Korasuv did not appear to be armed on Wednesday. "We don't have weapons, but if they come and attack us we will fight even with knives," Rakhimov told The Associated Press then.
"We will be building an Islamic state here in accordance with the Quran," he said, presenting a new challenge to the government that is struggling to stabilize the Central Asian nation following the violent crackdown on protest in Andijan.
Uzbek President Islam Karimov has blamed the violence in Andijan on Islamic militants and denied firing on civilians, but an AP reporter and numerous other witnesses saw troops firing on civilians.
Facing international criticism for massive violence against civilians, Karimov's government apparently opted for a less heavy-handed approach in Korasuv as it sought to prevent the unrest from spreading across the densely-populated Fergana Valley, brimming with Islamist sympathies.
Get the rope...
Islamist occupied Uzbekistan town recaptured by secuirty force ping!
Religion of Peace..... My ass.
Islam as practiced by the majority of these lunatics, is a murderous control cult, that wants to step back into the 8th century because they've failed to progress past the 16th century..
Semper Fi
**Korasuv people said that some of those arrested were beaten by police and that arrests were continuing.**
Good!
The Russians and the rest of the world will never forget the Beslan massacre.
Without it 90% of the wars in the world would go away.
Alright Hal rack itt I just got that on BBC news alert you know what rack Ubktaroin govt troops
When Muslims go around killing, nothing is said. But when they get rounded up for their crimes, it causes an international outcry? Where is the international outcry over the thousands of Christian and other citizens getting killed each month in Sudan, and millions more starving in the desert, all at the hands of these "religion of peace" followers?
It seems we have a Crusade starting here. Thank God. Where is Richard the Lionheart? We need him.
Well the n"new" state didn't last long ...;)
This whole story is a joke, they weren’t any leaders just few Muslim idiots who claimed BS to attract media. Probably they drank too much vodka, such a great Soviet Muslims.
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